News written by James Delahunty (August, 2013)

YouTube has dumped its video response feature after only about four in every million users clicks on a video response.

Video responses on YouTube stretch back very far, but as much as the feature makes sense it simply isn't popular at all with YouTube viewers.

Currently video responses have a click-through rate of .0004% -- in other words, only 4 out of every 1 million users who sees a video response clicks on it.

"So, on September 12 we're going to retire this little-used feature as we work to develop more effective fan engagement tools for creators," YouTube's Creator blog reads.

It tells content creators to encourage fans to upload videos with specific titles, hashtags or descriptions instead, so they can be found via search for a user looking for responses.

Rockstar Games is not planning to release Grand Theft Auto V on the next-gen PlayStation 4 (PS4) console.

A tweet from Sony UK suggested that the hotly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V was coming to the PlayStation 4, Sony's next generation console due to be released in November.

"GTA V is going to be amazing, especially on the PS4," the Sony UK tweet read. The Twitter account was also used to re-tweet comments from a user about the game on the upcoming platform.

Since then, Rockstar Games have told GameSpot that the tweet was simply a typo, and that the game is not coming to the PS4 console as of yet.

Sony UK also apologized for the mix-up on Twitter.

"Apologies for the typo about GTA V. It's due for release on PS3 on September 17th," the company said.

Rockstar released the "official trailer" for the game today. See it here.

The Department of Homeland Security and FBI sent a memo to U.S. police and emergency services warning about attacks on mobile devices running Android.

According to the memo, over 79 percent of attacks on mobile devices in 2012 were on devices running the Android operating system. Given the popularity of the mobile OS and its open source architecture, it draws more attacks than other operating systems, such as Apple's iOS, which accounted for only 0.7 percent of attacks.

Half of the attacks on Android phones were in the form of so called "text trojans", which are malicious apps that send premium-rate SMS messages in the background. More serious attacks include fake Google Play stores and malware that can steal information and track what a user is doing.

One major issue with Android, according to the memo, is the large portion of devices running unsafe versions of the OS. Roughly 44 percent of Android users were still using Gingerbread, which was released in 2011. The memo notes that a number of serious security vulnerabilities have been fixed in later versions.

"The growing use of mobile devices by federal, state, and local authorities makes it more important than ever to keep mobile OS patched and up-to-date," it said.

Vodafone and O2 have begun rolling out 4G mobile services in the United Kingdom, a year after rival EE first launched its own 4G service.

Vodafone will initially provide 4G service to parts of London, while O2 will also launch 4G services in London, Leeds and Bradford. Three, the largest mobile network in the UK, will begin rolling out 4G services from December, starting with London, Birmingham and Manchester.

EE has been offering 4G in the UK for almost a year after communications regulator Ofcom allowed the firm to use licensed spectrum for its service. The other carriers in the region protested the green light for EE because they had to wait for Ofcom to auction off spectrum for 4G services.

However, Vodafone and O2 are being accused of dragging their feet on 4G to sell it as a premium service.

"The UK's mobile networks are hedging their bets with 4G," Steven Hartley, principal analyst at telecoms consultancy Ovum, told the BBC. "They are trying the same strategy they used when they rolled out 3G, which is to offer 4G as a premium service to consumers, in an effort to move them onto expensive phone tariffs."

A U.S. judge has found that Hotfile is liable on charges of copyright infringement, in a case dating back to 2011.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) touted the finding in an e-mailed statement to the press, but the official written judgement remains sealed for fourteen days for confidential and other information to be redacted.

Nevetheless, the MPAA is jumping for joy that the still-in-business Panama-based cyberlocker service apparently failed to convince the court that it is a legitimate service that is protected from liability for infringing user uploads under the safe harbour provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

"This decision sends a clear signal that businesses like Hotfile that are built on a foundation of stolen works will be held accountable for the damage they do both to the hardworking people in the creative industries and to a secure, legitimate Internet," said Chris Dodd, chairman and CEO of the MPAA.

"We applaud the court for recognizing that Hotfile was not simply a storage locker but an entire business model built on mass distribution of stolen content. Today's decision is a victory for all of the men and women who work hard to create our favorite movies and TV shows, and it's a victory for audiences who deserve to feel confident that the content they're watching online is high-quality, legitimate, and secure."

Bloomberg is reporting that Verizon Communications Inc is in talks to buy out Vodafone's 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion.

News that Verizon sought to buy out UK-based Vodafone's atake of the Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) joint venture emerged earlier this year, with Reuters reporting that Verizon was mulling a $100 billion bid for the 45 percent stake it does not control.

Bloomberg is now citing sources familiar with the talks in reporting that Verizon is negotiating with several banks to kick in $60 billion in financing toward a $130 billion deal.

The initial Reuters report in April indicated that Verizon was considering a 50:50 cash and stock offer.

At the time analysts found that Verizon's proposed $100 billion bid undervalued Vodafone's share by as much as $20 billion.

Skype has confirmed that it is working on 3D video calls, but has held back developed technology so far due to the limits of consumer webcams.

"We've done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D-screens and 3D-capture," Microsoft's corporate vice-president for Skype, Mark Gillett, said in an interview with the BBC.

"We've seen a lot of progress in screens and a lot of people now buy TVs and computer monitors that are capable of delivering a 3D image. But the capture devices are not yet there. As we work with that kind of technology you have to add multiple cameras to your computer, precisely calibrate them and point them at the right angle. We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work and we're looking at the ecosystem of devices and their capability to support it in order to make a decision when we might think about bringing something like that to market."

Rumors about Skype working on 3D calls stemmed from an advert posted by the firm in April saying it wanted to find a way to create body doubles for worked unable to travel for meetings.

The hype surrounding 3D entertainment in recent years has cooled off considerably as consumers largely ignore the technology in the living room. This led to questions about whether World Cup 2014 games should be broadcast in 3D at all, and prompted ESPN to drop a 3D channel.

Rockstar Games has released what it is calling the official Grand Theft Auto V trailer, ahead of the anticipated title's September 17th launch.

The trailer (below) is due to be aired this Sunday in the U.S. during the latest episode of AMC's Breaking Bad. The game launches on September 17 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and is tipped to be an immediate success due to the popularity of the Grand Theft Auto series.

Here's the trailer.

Facebook has released its first ever Global Government Requests Report covering the first six months of 2013, showing figures of user information requests it receives around the world.

In total, Facebook received requests for information on about 38,000 of its gigantic user base around the world, with the United States by far the largest source of requests numbering between 20,000 and 21,000 for the first six months of the year.

The UK sought information on 2,337 users, France sought information on 1,598 users and Germany sought information on 2,086 users.

The requests for information are all related to official investigations, and they vary widely on their nature. Facebook, for example, receives requests for information of accounts belonging to missing persons, and in criminal cases where Facebook may have been used in some way to facilitate the activity.

The social network does not comply with all requests, and has an informative page outlining its approach to responding to government requests here.

If you want to see how many requests were made by your country, and how many Facebook complied with, then view the Global Government Requests Report on Facebook.com.

The New York Times has revealed that its website was hacked on Tuesday, and pointed the finger of blame at the Syrian Electronic Army.

The website was unreachable from Tuesday at around 3pm local time, though it has been restored since. While NYTimes.com was unreachable, the iconic news outlet continued to post stories to its Facebook page and to a mirror site located at news.nytco.com/global.

"The NYTimes.com domain is pointing at SyrianElectronicArmy.com which maps to an IP address in Russia, so it's clearly a malicious attack," Ken Westin, a security researcher for Tripwire, an online security company, told the BBC News website.

Earlier this month, a technical glitch had forced the New York Times website down, and the incident was misreported as the result of an attack.

"Media attacks seem to be escalating and moving away from annoying, simple denial of service attacks and toward full domain compromise which, if successful, puts millions of NYT website users at risk," said Mr Westin.

Microsoft has confirmed that it has completed Windows 8.1 and is releasing it to manufacturing (RTM), but MSDN and Technet subscribers must wait in line with everyone else.

There were hopes that Microsoft would provide Windows 8.1 to MSDN and Technet subscribers before the general October 18 release, but Microsoft has poured cold water on those hopes. According to The Verge, Microsoft is using the intervening time to add some finishing touches.

It also plans to address additional bugs and features with quick fix patches over the coming weeks before general release.

Windows 8.1 makes piles of changes to the Windows 8 user interface, largely due to negative feedback from customers who upgraded or bought a new PC/Tablet running the operating system.

Logitech's new G602 wireless gaming mouse boosts battery life, features 11 programmable buttons.

It promises 250 Continuous Hours in "gaming mode", which Logitech claims is eight times the battery life of other wireless gaming mice. In Endurance mode, it claims over 1,400 hours of battery life.

The mouse features Logitech G exclusive 4,000 DPI Delta Zero sensor technology that offers high-accuracy cursor control. Plus, it has an ultra durable build with primary mechanical switches rated to a 20 million-click lifespan.

Because it features eleven programmable G-keys, you can easily master your favorite games by assigning the actions you use most to the buttons you want, using the Logitech Gaming Software.

According to reports, Samsung's Galaxy Note III can record video in 4K resolution and also supports 24-bit/192KHz audio playback.

The rumors come from The Korea Economic Daily (via SamMobile), which reports that the Galaxy Note III can record video at 4K resolution (3840x2160) and also is capable of playing back 24-bit/192KHz audio recordings.

While the prospect of high quality audio support and 4K video recording deserves attention, there are questions that need to be asked. Firstly, why record in 4K when its not likely that the smartphone will be capable of displaying 4K video? Leaked specs claim that the Note III will tout a 5.68-inch Full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display.

The second problem is the amount of storage space that 4K videos would require, which may make 4K recording with a smartphone unsuitable for now.

Last but certainly not least is the shortage of 4K displays on the market. Ultra HD 4K televisions do, of course, exist but with high-end price tags, and let's not forget you need a device to be capable of playing 4K too.

Two men have been charged in New York for allegedly stealing source code from a high-frequency trading firm.

Prosecutors allege that the men intended to use the code to start their own firm. Jason Vuu, 26, Simon Lu, 25 and Glen Cressman, 26, were arraigned on the charges earlier this month and are due to go back to court on November 18.

Vuu is a former trader at Flow Traders LLC in Manhattan. Prosecutors allege that he e-mailed himself proprietary code, as well as trading strategies and valuation algorithms from the firm. He then, allegedly, shared the information with Lu.

Cressman - also a former trader at Flow Traders LLC - is alleged to have copied files containing trading strategies and valuation algorithms without permission, though his lawyer Charles Ross maintains his clients' innocence.

"He was a fine employee, and when everything about the case is aired, it will be clear he did nothing wrong," Ross said.

A glitch affecting an Amazon servers at a data center affected Instagram, Vine, Netflix and others over the weekend.

The problems hit users of the services on Sunday, with Instagram the first to acknowledge on Twitter that access to its services appeared to be intermittent. It was followed by the other affected web services.

The problem was traced to a data center in Northern Virginia that ran into problems keeping up with demand. This affected servers that are part of Amazon's cloud-based network. Users of amazon's services, including Instagram and Netflix, experienced technical problems as a result.

The problem has since been resolved, with Amazon blaming it on the "partial failure of a networking device" but not elaborating any further.

Problems affecting cloud services tend to get more attention than traditional outages because of the far-reaching consequences they can have.

BitCoin Foundation members have met with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to advocate for the digital currency.

FinCEN director, Jennifer Shasky-Calvery, confirmed that the regulator hosted a presentation by the BitCoin foundation. "This is part of our ongoing dialogue aimed at enhancing communication with our regulated financial industries," she said in a statement.

The job of FinCEN is to analyse information about financial transactions related to money laundering activity, terrorism financing and other financial crimes. BitCoin has been the subject of a lot of controversy in recent years due to its use in underground illegal markets, like the Silk Road drug trading hub. The FBI also reported last year that sophisticated criminal elements were exploiting BitCoin to move money around the world hoping to sidestep groups like FinCEN.

The goal of the BitCoin foundation is to improve and protect the integrity of the BitCoin currency.

However, BitCoin dealers/groups are slowly discovering that they are subject to the same rules and regulations that come with using traditional currency. Mt. Gox, a Tokyo-based group that exchanges U.S. dollars with BitCoins, had two of its accounts held by its U.S. subsidiary seized by agents of the DHS earlier this year because it was operating a money transmitting business with a license.

According to leaked material obtained by Kotaku, Microsoft's Xbox One console may launch on November 8.

The gaming site was in contact with a source at a marketing company that contracts for retail giant Wal-Mart, and was passed along an e-mail for a company conference call that shows the launch date for a number of upcoming games.

It lists the Xbox One as launching at midnight on November 8, 2013. One thing to note is the lack of a "confirmed" note beside it, which could suggest that Microsoft hasn't yet picked a day, or as Kotaku pointed out, only very recently indicated November 8 (perhaps after Sony set November 15 as its launch day for PS4?).

SoundExchange has filed a lawsuit against Sirius XM Radio Inc seeking at least $50 million in damages for allegedly underpaying royalties.

The suit alleges that from 2007 to 2012, Sirius XM underpaid SoundExchange for a statutory license for broadcasting recordings to its subscribers by reducing by 10-15 percent the gross revenues it reports to calculate the royalty payments. It said Sirius XM's change in calculation of revenue was due to performances of recordings from before 1972.

Sirius XM holds that the statutory license established under federal law does not extend to recordings made before that year.

"We cannot sit by and watch this multi-billion dollar company reap record profits from the creative contributions of artists and labels without paying them everything they deserve," SoundExchange Chief Executive Michael Huppe said in a statement.

SoundExchange is a nonprofit organization that deals with performance rights and is designated by the U.S. Copyright Office. Its job is to collect royalties for performance artists and copyright holders for when their music is performed on a digital radio or satellite service. The group represents over 3,000 record labels and 20,000 artists, ranging from major labels to independent labels and from famous signed artists to unsigned performers.

Skype has announced that its Windows 8 app will be bundled with the Windows 8.1 update due to roll out in mid-October.

The app will be added to the revamped Windows 8.1 Start Screen, meaning that not only can you login and reach over 300 million Skype users across many different devices but also everyone with a Windows 8.1 PC.

"As the default communications experience in Windows 8.1, we will continue to focus on delivering the best communications experience for Windows users through Skype," the Skype blog reads.

"With Skype in Windows 8.1 it will be easier than ever to connect and do more with the special people in your life, in any moment."

Rockstar Games has shown off some Grand Theft Auto Online gameplay footage in a video released yesterday.

Grand Theft Auto Online is a dynamic and persistent online world for 16 players that begins by sharing gameplay features, geography and mechanics with Grand Theft Auto V, but will continue to expand and evolve after its launch with new content created by Rockstar Games and the Grand Theft Auto community.

Despite the session limit, you have a permanent stake in the game world. Players can invest in their character through customizing their appearance, improving their stats, owning customized vehicles, purchasing personal property, and taking part in missions, jobs and activities to earn reputation and cash to open up new opportunities to rise through the criminal ranks.

Access to Grand Theft Auto Online is free with every retail copy of Grand Theft Auto V and launches on October 1.

Microsoft has responded angrily to Google's decision to block its re-launched YouTube app, despite the company introducing ads and removing video download features.

The much improved YouTube app relaunched this week for Windows Phone devices, with advertisements added before monetized videos. It also lacked a video download feature that Google objected to in May, while adding a (albeit limited) video upload feature.

Reviews for the app suggested that Windows Phone users found it much better than the outdated YouTube app for the platform. However, it appears that Google has found more reasons to block the app on its fierce rival's platform, and Microsoft has responded angrily to its actions in a long statement posted online.

In the statement, Microsoft claims that while collaborating with Google, the search giant asked them to transition to a new coding language for the app, HTML5. Microsoft points out that neither the Android or iOS YouTube apps are built with HTML5.

Nevertheless, Microsoft "dedicated significant engineering resources" to examine the possibility, but that eventually experts from both companies found that building a new HTML5 YouTube app would be technically difficult and time consuming to complete - which is why it hasn't been done on Google's own Android, Microsoft asserts.

A Canadian man has lost his job after he requested a marijuana delivery on Twitter, which was seen and re-tweeted by the police department.

"Any dealers in Vaughan wanna make a 20sac chop? Come to Keele/Langstaff Mr. Lube, need a spliff," the man tweeted.

York Regional Police noticed the publicly visible request and decided to reply. "Awesome! Can we come too?," they replied on Twitter with an RT of the original request.

Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto V pushes the ageing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 console to their technical limits.

Leslie Benzies, president of Rockstar North, told GameSpot that the developer had sought to push the consoles to their absolute limit with its ambitious new title from the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto franchise.

"We wanted to push these consoles to their limit. I think we've squeezed every single ounce of power out of these boxes that we can," he said.

The game, when released, requires a mandatory 8GB install on both consoles. On the Xbox 360, the game ships with two discs but the developer said there will be no need to swap the discs at any point in play.

Rockstar also sought to make the game appear and feel as real-world as it technically can at this point, with even the placement of trees given all the thought it needs.

"Our goal was to simulate what's outside [in the real world], to make it feel good, and tidy up all the rough edges that we thought GTAIV had," Benzies said.

"It was to get it so the handling feels perfect, the gunplay feels perfect. And also the online side of it--that's been a goal for years. We've started it a few times before, but we've never finished it. That's what we wanted to do, basically."

Research from the University of Michigan suggests that Facebook may negatively effect the well-being of young frequent users.

A study tracked participants for two weeks, finding that checking Facebook regularly tended to make people feel worse about themselves and their lives. The social networking giant boasts a billion members, half of whom log in every day.

"On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection. Rather than enhancing well-being, however, these findings suggest that Facebook may undermine it," said the researchers.

It adds to a body of evidence that Facebook use can have negative consequences, but Graham Jones of the British Psychological Society reminded the BBC website that there is also researching showing it has positive effects too.

Participants in the study were sent several messages per day that linked them to surveys to fill out that asked questions about how they felt, whether they were worried about anything and about whether they felt lonely, and most importantly how much they were on Facebook since filling out the last survey.

Nintendo is on the hook to pay $15.1 million to Seijiro Tomita in a patent infringement case linked to its 3DS handheld.

Tomita was originally awarded $30.2 million in March, and this week was given the option of accepting half of the award or starting a new trial in which he could lose it all.

The case stems from a 2003 meeting between Tomita and seven Nintendo officials, where he allegedly showed a prototype of his technology. Four of the officials went on to assist in the creation of the 3DS handheld console.

Nintendo rejects the accusation that it used his patented technology in the 3DS, saying that the 2003 meeting was just one of many the company had with merchants selling 3D technology. Nintendo attorney Scott Lindvall also argued that key aspects of the patent in question are not used by the 3DS.

Nintendo plans to appeal the jury's verdict.

The Washington Post has said that its website was hacked by the supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The website of Time and CNN were also reportedly caught up in the hack that targeted a third-party link recommendation service Outbrain,

"We are aware that Outbrain was hacked earlier today and we took down service as soon as it was apparent," Outbrain revealed on its blog.

"The breach now seems to be secured and the hackers blocked out, but we are keeping the service down for a little longer until we can be sure it's safe to turn it back on securely."

Links on the effected news sites redirected users to the website of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA). The Washington Post said it was working to resolve the issue, while CNN said it quickly identified the threat and disabled the third party plug-in.

Time spokesman Daniel Kile said that the Time website itself had not been directly effected, only the Outbrain-powered module on Time's pages.

Market research firm Mintel is predicting that online retail sales will double in Europe by 2018, with Amazon in a prime position to benefit.

It conducted a survey of 19 markets in Europe, predicting that online sales will grow to €188 billion in 2013, up from €166 billion in 2012, and will likely hit €233 billion by 2018.

Britain, France and Germany will remain the biggest markets for online retail by 2018, though Norway and Sweden have the highest par-capita spend online. Amazon's marketshare on the continent reached 9.8 percent in 2012, up from 9.2 percent in 2011.

The retail giant could go on to double its European market share over the next 3-4 years, according to Mintel, even though it has been the subject of negative publicity in Britain over its low tax payments and had its German operations hit by strikes.

A team of security researchers has highlighted some popular YouTube video download tools that had been placing unauthorized advertisements on the video service.

Spider.io observed two programs - Best Video Downloader and Easy YouTube Downloader - placing ads on the YouTube site in clear violation of YouTube's rules. Even worse, some of the injected advertisements led users to malicious websites.

Some of the ad slots had been sold on through exchanges to the likes of Amazon, Blackberry, Kellogg's and Toyota, but those firms almost certainly weren't aware of the scheme. Unfortunately, malicious advertisers (malvertisers) had also managed to get their ads displayed.

"When a user who has installed these plug-ins visits youtube.com multiple display ad slots are injected across the YouTube homepage, channel pages, video pages and search results pages," Spider.io said.

"One example shows a fake alert, which suggests to the user that a Java update is required. If the user clicks the OK button, then the user is taken to the disreputable site."

Prosecutors in Brazil allege that Samsung Electronics imposes harsh working conditions on employees at a factory in the Amazon region.

The Manaus prosecutors office reported one worker having to package nearly 3,000 phones in a day. It has accused Samsung of labor law violations for making employees work long shifts without sufficient breaks throughout. The factory employees around 6,000 people.

Prosecutors allege that a worker at the factory has only 32 seconds to assemble a mobile phone and 65 seconds to put together a television set. Employees who gave evidence to the office said that shifts can last up to 15 hours, and that back aches and cramps were common among the workforce.

Samsung said it would fully co-operate with the investigation.

"We are committed to offering our collaborators around the world a work environment that ensures the highest standards when it comes to safety, health and well-being," a Samsung statement said.

The prosecutors office will seek more than 250 million reais - about $108 million - in damages.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has told Sky not to air a TV ad featuring Bruce Willis, saying the ad is misleading to consumers.

The ad featured the star walking into the offices of an ISP to complain about the quality of his service (download limits), when he is told to switch to Sky Broadband as its "totally unlimited." A voice-over then reveals that the service is £7.50 per month.

A viewer complained to the advertising watchdog saying that Sky didn't make it clear the extent of the commitment customers have to make in order to receive the unlimited service for £7.50 per month. On screen small print does say that Sky Talk, calls and line rental were required, from £14.50 per month.

At the beginning of the ad, the small print also says "Sky TV from £21.50 a month, box and set up costs may apply." The Advertising Standards Authority found the ad to be misleading, since it was clearly not aimed at existing Sky customers.

Microsoft's Xbox One console is more aware of temperature and power usage than the Xbox 360 was, according to Xbox general manager of console development Leo del Castillo.

The Xbox 360 console was plagued for multiple years after it was released with hardware problems that often had overheating at their core. In later hardware revisions and software updates for the console, it became more sensitive to heat issues and would warn users and shut down if the system got too hot.

With the Xbox One, the console can scale back its power usage to a state that will produce much less heat, which is something the Xbox 360 couldn't do.

"One thing that we have more flexibility with...with the architecture of the Xbox One, is that we can dial back the power of the box considerably," he said. "We had a little less flexibility with the 360. And so basically, if we couldn't dissipate the heat, there wasn't a whole lot of leverage we could pull to keep the heat from being generated, so we had a limited amount of time before it just shut down. Xbox One can actually dial it back to a lower power state, so low in fact that it can [be] in a mode that uses virtually no air flow."

Microsoft has announced the Season Pass Guarantee, which means if you buy a season pass on Xbox 360, you will get a season pass for the same games on Xbox One.

Of course, that means you would need to own the same game on both platforms. The point of the guarantee is to make transitioning from Xbox 360 to Xbox One an easier and smoother process, so you don't have to worry about which console you're playing games on or repurchasing your existing add-ons on Xbox One.

Activision, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft are lined up to take part in the Season Pass Guarantee program so far, and Microsoft said it will announce more participants in the coming months.

Earlier today, Microsoft also announced that it would have to cut the number of markets it launches in from 21 to 13, with the 8 countries that will miss the November launch expected to get the new console in 2014.

The Radio Times website has gotten caught up in the middle of an anti-piracy effort aimed at blocking providers of live streams (or links) of football games.

In a scenario that mirrors exactly what digital rights advocates warned about, the unrelated Radio Times website was partially blocked to UK Internet users because it shared an Internet Protocol address with First Row Sports, which is a website that was ordered blocked in the UK recently.

Users who attempted to reach "radiotimes.com" (without the WWW.) would be unable to reach the site as the anti-piracy block would take effect. Naturally, Radio Times are less than pleased.

"It's outrageous that our website has been suddenly switched off and our users wrongly informed that it's to protect against copyright infringement," said Ben Preston, according to the BBC News website..

"The Premier League seems to be behaving like the worst sort of blundering striker who's forgotten the first rule of football - check you're at the right end before you shoot."

Other sites reportedly affected incorrectly by the block include the websites of the Blackburn Rovers, Reading and Brentford football clubs, and the Notes from Nature science project and Galaxy Zoo space education site. The way the system works means that ISPs have to rely on rights holders to correctly identify offenders, but this system has been criticized exactly because it could snag unrelated sites just as it has in this case.

Microsoft has confirmed that the anticipated Windows 8.1 update will begin to roll-out on October 18.

Windows 8.1 will start rolling out worldwide as a free update from 12:00am on October 18th in New Zealand (4:00am October 17 in Redmond) through the Windows Store. It will also be available at retail and on new devices starting on October 18th by market.

Windows 8.1 improves areas of Microsoft's flagship OS, like personalization features, an improved Windows Store experience, cloud connectivity with SkyDrive and so on. The update is seen as a response by Microsoft to a lot of negative feedback it received since Windows 8 launched last year.

Microsoft has already released a preview version of Windows 8.1 which you can download.

Activision has boasted the success of its Call of Duty franchise with a new infographic that shows the mind-numbing amount of time spent playing the games.

Since the release of Call of Duty 4 (2007), Activision claims that over 100 million people have played a CoD title, which is larger than the populations of many countries, like the United Kingdom, France or Germany. CoD gamers have clocked up an impressive 25 billion hours playing the games, or about 2.85 million years, which the infographic points out is longer than humanity has been around, which it is by more than ten fold.

In all that combat, more than 32.3 quadrillion (32,300,000,000,000,000) shots have been fired, while over 5 billion cars have been destroyed. Players have called in 31 billion Care Packages since the features was introduced in Modern Warfare 2.

Here is the graphic.

Microsoft has restored its YouTube app for Windows Phone devices after seemingly coming to an agreement with Google.

There was a public spat over the YouTube app back in May, due to the fact that the app could download videos for local playback, and didn't display any ads. When Google lashed out at Microsoft, it removed the ability to download videos but still didn't display any ads.

When Google persisted with complaints, Microsoft pulled the YouTube app altogether and replaced it with an older app.

Now the newer app has been restored and displays pre-roll ads on monetized YouTube videos. It also adds a feature to upload videos, but Ars points out a very annoying limitation of the feature. Over cell networks, only short videos - less than 5MB - can be uploaded. Anything bigger requires a Wi-Fi connection, but even at that, any video over 20MB requires external power, and any over 100MB simply won't upload.

This is due to the upload being a background transfer, which has some advantages for app switching, but when Lumia phones can record HD videos, even the 100MB limitation is too much.

Sony seems to be preparing to begin selling a 12GB flash-based PS3 console in North America from the end of this week.

Canadian retailer Future Shop had the 12GB PS3 listed today before it was promptly taken down, though Engagdet did manage to get a screenshot of the listing before it was removed, and then another picture allegedly from a KMart stockroom in the U.S. of the retail packaging of the console.

Sony revealed earlier this year that it was going to be releasing a 12GB flash-based PS3 in parts of Europe and Hong Kong, but denied that it would ship in North America.

The Future Shop listing had the 12GB model "in stock" at $199.99.

Microsoft has revealed that the Xbox One console will launch in 13 markets in November, down from a goal of 21 markets set at E3.

The Xbox One console will launch in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand, in November. However, it has had to delay the launch in several markets originally intended for November, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.

"While we wish we could launch Xbox One simultaneously in these markets, there are many factors that determine the timing of specific market launches," a Microsoft statement reads.

"This includes work to localize the Xbox One dash, incorporate additional voice and languages, and build partnerships to bring apps and meaningful local content to each country."

For users in those right countries who have already pre-ordered an Xbox One console, Microsoft has promised they will receive a pack-in game with your console when it launches.

A Russian man has pleaded not guilty in a U.S. court in New Jersey to charges related to the largest cybercrime case prosecuted in the country.

Prosecutors allege that Dmitriy Smilianets, 29, of Moscow, conspired with a group of hackers from Russia and the Ukraine to steal more than 160 credit card numbers that cost victims over $300 million. Among the targets were NASDAQ and Heartland Payment Systems Inc. Jet Blue Airways and J.C. Penney were also hit by the group.

Smilianets denies the allegations and claims that he is looking into irregularities with the circumstances of his arrest last year in Holland.

He allegedly sold credit card data starting at $10 for a U.S. card and $50 for a European card. He was extradited to the United States in September 2012, and has remained in federal custody ever since.

He faces up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 30 years for committing wire fraud and 5 years each for gaining unauthorized access to computers and conspiracy to gain access.

Prosecutors are also seeking the extradition of Alexandr Kalinin, another suspect that is living in Russia.

Samsung has announced the availability of its curved 55-inch KN55S9C OLED television in the United States, selling for a whopping $8,999.

Samsung says its curved tv offers an unprecedented leap forward for picture quality, sharp contrast and a whole new way to experience television. The self-emitting RGB sub-pixels are laid directly on the color display panel, so no color filter is required. Without the need for backlighting, the Samsung Curved OLED TV displays pictures with absolute blacks at a contrast ratio never before seen on conventional TVs, the South Korean giant says.

"As a leader in standout design and television display technology, Samsung's new Curved OLED TV sets the bar for the next generation of televisions coming to market," said Joe Stinziano, Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics America.

"Customers have come to expect brilliance from Samsung, and our Curved OLED TV is just that. With true-to-life color, ultimate contrast, and superior picture quality, this new TV delivers an astonishing home entertainment experience."

Rockstar Games will spill details on Grand Theft Auto V's online mode this week with the release of a gameplay video and more information.

The developer teased GTA fans with its previous trailer for the game, which ended with dozens of players roaming around the city of Los Santos. This led to a lot of speculation on what Rockstar has in store for GTA V online services.

Rockstar announced that it will provide a new gameplay video and information for the Online Mode on Thursday, August 15. The game is scheduled to be released in about a month, and will no doubt sell in massive numbers from launch day. Analysts are predicting up to 20 million copies sold before the end of March 2014.

It will be released for the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, and a petition to bring the game to PC has reached over 200,000 signatures.

The recently released trailers and videos from the game were rendered with the PlayStation 3 console.

LG has apologized and taken full responsibility for twenty injuries at an event where a promotional stunt went wrong.

The electronics giant released 100 helium balloons at the "G in the Cloud" event in Seoul, Korea, each with a free smartphone voucher. If you got a voucher, then you would receive one of the devices for free.

In order to attempt to get a voucher, event goers showed up with BB guns and knives attached to sticks. What could possibly go wrong?

After the balloons were released, customers charged forward and opened fire (so to speak), resulting in injuries to twenty people. LG has called off further similar events and taken responsibility for what local media dubbed "World War G".

"LG Electronics deeply regrets that a number of Korean participants were injured during an outdoor promotional event in Seoul, Korea," a statement from the firm said.

"We can confirm that seven participants were hospitalised and, although none of the injuries were serious, LG takes full responsibility for the unfortunate situation and has offered to cover all related medical expenses. LG is investigating the incident to ensure that such an occurrence can be avoided in the future."

Microsoft has revealed that its new Xbox One controller will be compatible PC games in 2014.

Penny Arcade Report asked a Microsoft spokesman to comment on whether the Xbox One controller will be able to play games that the Xbox 360 controller works with on PC.

The Microsoft spokesperson said: "There is also some work that we need to do to make sure that existing PC games that support the Xbox 360 controller, will work with the Xbox One controller. While it seems trivial, it's actually quite a bit of dedicated work for all that to be seamless for the user. We know people want to use the Xbox One controller on their PC, and we do too – we expect to have the functionality available in 2014."

Being able to use the controller with existing games would be useful for anyone planning on buying an Xbox One.

The new browser provided by the Pirate Bay to beat censorship and web site blocking has been downloaded over 100,000 times in three days.

The PirateBrowser works by taking advantage of the TOR network, which can be used to get around censorship and web tracking by routing traffic through the network before eventually connecting to the remote location via an exit node. If the exit node is not subject to any such censorship, then it will have no problem downloading and relaying data from the remote website back to the user.

This would come in handy for anyone who finds that their ISP has blocked access to a website. In Ireland, for example, the two main service providers (UPC and Eircom) have been forced by the High Court to block access to the Pirate Bay website, meaning users who attempt to go to the site will get a message explaining the court's decision instead.

By using the TOR network correctly, this block can be easily overcome.

However, you should remember not to confuse the PirateBrowser with the TOR Browser Bundle. The PirateBrowser is not intended to provide anonymity and it should not be used for regular browsing unless its absolutely necessary. Even though both browsers will stop a remote website from seeing your real IP address if configured and working correctly, it is important to know that any unencrypted communication with the remote site could be easily viewed by the operator of an exit node. Therefore, do not use either browser to login to any Internet-based service, unless you are sure that HTTPS is in use at least.

Microsoft has revealed that the Xbox One console will not require the Kinect device to be switched on at all times to function, seemingly going back on another requirement that was very unpopular among gamers.

The news that the Xbox One console would require the Kinect to be switched on and gathering data at all times sparked some cries over privacy fears from gamers. At the same time, limits on the usage of pre-owned games and other details were met with a cold response from the community.

Microsoft eventually backtracked on its pre-owned games limitations, and now appears to have done the same for any requirement for Kinect to be on all the time.

"Like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn't plugged in," Xbox One platform architect Marc Whitten, told IGN. "Although you won't be able to use any feature or experience that explicitly uses the sensor."

"You have the ability to completely turn the sensor off in your settings. When in this mode, the sensor is not collecting any information. Any functionality that relies on voice, video, gesture or more won't work. We still support using it for IR blasting in this mode. You can turn the sensor back on at any time through settings, and if you enter into a required Kinect experience (like Kinect Sports Rivals for instance), you'll get a message asking if you want to turn the sensor back on in order to continue."

The latest version of the Skype app for Apple's iPad and iPhone 5 devices has added support for HD video calling.

A HD front camera was added to the iPad with the released of the fourth generation model of the Apple tablet, but up until now the mega-popular Skype app only included support for standard definition video calls.

Now the Skype for iPad 4.1 update adds support for HD video calling, as does Skype for iPhone 4.1, if you have an iPhone 5.

The only other changes in the apps for the iOS devices include general improvements to call quality and stability.

ZTE has announced that it will begin selling unlocked versions of its Firefox OS-packing ZTE Open on eBay US and UK, starting soon.

The low-cost device has launched with Telefónica in Spain, Venezuela and Colombia, Soon the ZTE Open will now be available for the first time in Orange priced at $79.99 (£59.99) and will be unlocked to allow use on all mobile networks.

"It is great honor to launch the ZTE Open Firefox OS phone worldwide through eBay. ZTE is devoted to providing more options for customers globally and enabling them to live better lives via advanced technology," said Mr. Dai Wenhong, VP of ZTE Corporation.

"The ZTE Open offers customers a smartphone experience at an incredible price point, making it ideal for cost conscious consumers or those looking to upgrade to a smartphone for the first time."

The ZTE Open offers all the functions expected from a smartphone – calls, messaging, email, camera – plus additional experiences that people really want, such as built-in social integration with Facebook and Twitter, location-based services like Nokia HERE maps which include local transit and traffic information and much-loved features like the Firefox Web browser and the Firefox Marketplace.

A flaw in an Android feature has put Bitcoin wallets at risk, according to security alerts published ahead of vital updates.

The problem lies in a component of Android responsible for generating secure random numbers, which has been found to contain a critical weakness. Given that the problem lies with Android itself, it could affect you if you have a wallet generated by any Android app. Such affected apps include Bitcoin Wallet, blockchain.info wallet, BitcoinSpinner and Mycelium Wallet.

Updates have already been issued for BitCoin Wallet (v3.15), BitcoinSpinner (0.8.3b), Mycelium Bitcoin Wallet (0.7.0) and blockchain.info (3.54).

"In order to re-secure existing wallets, key rotation is necessary. This involves generating a new address with a repaired random number generator and then sending all the money in your wallet back to yourself," a Bitcoin security advisory suggests.